Information for Residents of The Mill at Tar Branch
Attention Building 3 Owners:
The last part of the Mill Painting project is to be completed this week starting Wednesday June 15th. We assume the project will take a few day to complete. The Wachovia Street Entrance to building 3 will be patched to repair the cracks and then painted. Please refrain from using that door until the project is complete. All other building 3 entrances will be available to use.
A number of Owners have expressed concerns about the increasing nuisance of the four Crepe Myrtle trees planted along the north side of Building 1.
Over the years, these Crepes have become overgrown, particularly for the 4-foot-wide area between the enclosed patios’ concrete slabs and the common sidewalk. Their roots have encroached under the slabs and sidewalks resulting in what will soon become a costly repair project. Crepe Myrtle roots do not sink taproots deep into the ground. In fact, the entire Crepe Myrtle root system is shallow and fibrous, spreading out horizontally up to three times as far as the canopy is wide. The trees and their root systems are much too expansive for the limited spaces along the walkway.
The Crepes shed husks, flowers, leaves, and bark for three quarters of the year. This debris clogs the gutters and causes damage to the roofs of the garage units. If not trimmed at least annually, the limbs hang over Building 1 and the garages, enabling pests to access the roofs. The debris also congests the walkway drains resulting in standing water after most rains. This past summer, aphids invaded the trees, generating a black tar-like substance that dripped onto the plantings below, the sidewalk, and patios creating a sticky mess.
After much research, the Board first considered “Crepe Murdering”. This practice was decided against because severe pruning or topping of Crepe Myrtles (down to 10 feet) removes strong, viable limbs and encourages the growth of weak and flimsy shoots that often are not strong enough to support the blooms come spring and summer. The cuts made at pruning can allow disease and rot to enter the tree which can eventually result in its untimely demise. Plus, adopting a yearly program of denuding would not address the spreading root issues, and would substantially increase annual landscaping expense.
Although the beautiful Crepe canopy enhances the common walkway, the current and predicted nuisance and damage concerns remain. The Board has unanimously (although reluctantly) decided the trees must be removed. Our contract landscaper, Legacy Landscapes & Tree Service, will be taking down the Crepes in early November.
Building 1 Unit Owners will collaborate to choose a variety of trees with smaller root systems, less debris, and lower maintenance that will ultimately soften the spaces once shaded by the Crepe Myrtles. Further, the Owners have generously agreed to cover the acquisition and planting costs.
A message from Capstone:
The Mill at Tar Branch recently experienced a water leak requiring immediate after-hours service. During this event, there was a substantial delay in our response due to the manner the need was reported to us. In an effort to make sure all homeowners are able to receive a prompt response when the need for emergency maintenance is required after-hours, we wanted to reiterate the process for contacting us after-hours.
In the event of any after-hours maintenance emergency related to the common area that requires our immediate attention, you should contact us by calling our main telephone number at 336-494-6080, following the voice prompts to leave a message for our on call property manager (please include in your message the following information: your name, phone number, property location and the nature of the emergency). Someone will retrieve the message and then contact you. To ensure you receive the quickest response, and best service, requests for after-hours emergency maintenance should not be sent via email.
Capstone Realty Consultants, Inc.
336-494-6080
A message from Summit Services Group
Dear Capstone Clients and Occupants:
We thought it important to let each of you know what Summit Services Group’s operating plan is while we are asked to shelter-in-place.
Summit is considered an essential business. That designation allows us to continue to provide maintenance services for those properties under Capstone’s management. Summit’s team intends to continue working throughout the crises provided we remain healthy. We have developed the following plan to facilitate our continuing operations.
Our maintenance technicians are taking the following steps to protect their health as well as yours.
We kindly ask that you take appropriate steps to protect both yourself and the maintenance technician during the service call.
We would also appreciate if you allow our service technicians to utilize any disinfectant that you may have during the service call. This will allow us to conserve our supplies to keep our technicians healthy and ensure supplies are available when there are none on hand at the service location.
Summit will prioritize service requests as follows:
Please understand response times may be lengthened depending upon the situation and the number of personnel Summit is able to deploy at any given time. Please do not hesitate to contact first responders if the situation warrants.
We thank you in advance for your assistance during this time. We are committed to keeping all of us as safe and comfortable as possible.
We find ourselves living in unprecedented times, adapting and coping with the worldwide effects of COVID-19.
To wit, the COA Board has approved a stepped up cleaning regime focused on high-touch areas within our community:
What we do together makes a difference. Remember each of us has the responsibility to abide by health guidelines as we navigate this new normal. Be mindful of washing hands frequently; avoiding contact with eyes, nose and mouth;
and maintaining social distancing.
Thanks to Holly Willis for generously providing the sanitizing wipes stationed at each key pad!
BE SURE TO USE THEM!
Thanks to all who participated in our plumbing assessment to discover what might be causing our erratic and large water bills. Click here to find the outcome of the assessment broken down by unit. Although there was not one significant contributing factor, the plumber felt that improvements could be made in several of the units helping the overall situation.
The board is hopeful that each owner will take responsibility for resolving any issues that were discovered for the good of the whole community and to ensure our costs remain reasonable.
Thanks again,
Lisa Menefee
COA President
As some of you may know in August Meridian let the Board know that it will no longer be in the business of residential property management. The Board has made the decision to retain the services of Capstone Services to handle all accounting services for the Association effective October 1,2019. As the transition is taking place I am asking that you pause all dues payments. We are working with Capstone to set up the bank account. AS SOON AS we have that information it will be sent out to all of you. If you have a direct draft or a lease pay arrangement please pause until bank account information is set up.
I apologize for the short notice but we took some time to decide who was available and offered the best possible services specific to our needs.
Lisa Menefee
COA President, The Mill at Tar Branch